Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and RFID related knowledge have been widely used in the world, since the first true ancestor of modern RFID Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,148) to Cardullo, et al. in 1973 and the first patent associated with the abbreviation RFID was granted to Walton, et al. in 1983 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,288). Recent U.S. Pat. No. 7,928,965 to Rosenblatt, et al, a RFID chips in Apple's iOS devices that will enable such things as wireless transfers of data from an iPhone to a desktop with just a simple shaking motion or even allow a user to open up a keyless hotel or car door with a simple swipe.
Major retailers, Department of Defense and other industry have been working and are trying to apply RFID technology to their business and business management. As RFID strategy leader in Wal-Mart, Mr. Ron Moser, pointed out in the International RFID Applications Show (Taiwan) in October 2007, about 2 percent of all lost sales in Wal-Mart are due to the simple fact that a store having run out of such item, but 41 percent of lost sales are due to inventory problems. If RFID can fix just 10 percent of that problem, then Wal-Mart will gain $287 million per year by avoiding lost sales. Mr. Moser further expected UM to have a greater help on the company than barcode did when that technology was first introduced in 1984 (EXHIBITS, 1).
However, the current RFID technology application in various fields over the world is still limited by the following disadvantages of the present RFID technology:                a. The unique identification information of a RFID tag for specific item results that each RFID tag can be only used for one time for one specific product or one box or one pallet. There is no RFID standard enable a RFID tag to be reused again and again for various product. As described in ISO 17364 for RFID tag reusability: “Technologically all RFID tag are theoretically reusable. Because of the unique identification aspects of transport unit, the permanent nature of the physical attachment of the tag, and the low cost of the tags themselves, product level tags are generally not reused for commercial retail items, and commodity items”.        b. The Radio Frequency (RF) for RFID systems currently in use is not the same over the world.        c. The whole RFID system won't work if there is no RFID reader available or RFID tags are unreadable.        d. Apparently, the overhead to set up RFID system is still high for many middle and small business companies. The various standards and systems in RFID technology require huge money to follow up.        e. The RFID technology application is largely limited by the fact that RFID technology currently can't provide 100% accuracy due to many reasons in practical application for inventory control as it should be theoretically.        f. Unrecoverable of a RFID tag data is another major problem for RFID technology application in supply chain and logistics management if a RFID tag is unreadable for any reason.        g. It is hard to locate the real location of a read RFID tag or an unread RFID tag within the reading range, except there is only one tag in the reading area.        h. The RFID technology has been referred to as an invasive technology.        i. There is no system combined with RFID technology to efficiently recover all reusable items for further application. Even though ISO and EPC have set up coding standard for Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) or Returnable Transport Item (RTI), such as pallets. All GRAI or RTI must be returned to their original owner's place for further application. The returnable item of a pallet, for example, even needs two RFID tags in the application as ISO 17365 described “One tag represents the unique RTI identification and the second represents the shipment unique identification”.                    Our previous patents, “C & R container” (U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,239 B2, P. R. China Pats.: 200410032184.6 and 200810099015.2) and “All in one multifunction pallet” (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 12/728,243 and P. R. China Pat. No.: 200910177769.X), have described various ways to use C & R pallet and box to solve many problems related to product movement in the supply chain. For example, saving space when recollected by collapsing the used pallets and boxes, both pallet and box can be reusable as long as their functional well for product package and movement, any damaged part can be simply replaced with a new part and many other distinct features. However, novel structures and the most environment friendly characters do need to combine with the up-date technology, like RFID technology, to provide a much efficient way for all users to use both reusable boxes and pallets at the same or even cheaper price compared with the current box and pallet used in the supply chain, easy and convenient to collect each of all used box and pallet at nearby locations (EXHIBITS. 2, 3 and 4).                        j. Containerization makes the modern supply chain and logistics more efficient, convenient, energy saving and less expensive compared with any other ways. The amounts of containers are increasing significantly in the worldwide. As the results, the empty container numbers are also rapidly increasing in North American and European countries. It has been estimated that there are about over 20% of total containers are left in these countries and regions each year, which is a serious problem for container owners and the environment. According to the report of U.S. Department of Transportation in 2008, all container ports in USA handled 28. 2 million loaded TEUs (Twenty foot equivalent units—an international measure for counting containers) in 2008. Of which there are about 6 million TEUs empty containers either left in various container storage locations in New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Long beach, Chicago, and Dallas or shipped out as empty containers for further use. Only in port of Los Angeles handled about 1.9 million empty containers in 2008 and accounted for 51 percent of the total outbound export TEUs (EXHIBITS. 5).        k. All other problems related to RFID technology application in supply chain and logistics management have been well and professionally referenced by Abraham, Jr., et al. in their U.S. Pat. No. 7,570,165 and Sullivan, et al. in their U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,489 B2.        
Accordingly, an integrated and functional well RFID system with a most simple method to use is really and surely needed for the supply chain and logistics management. The RFID system, based on the present international or various countries or regions regulations, and the method, according to the present product handling and operating process, can practically help all users in the supply chain and logistics management to achieve an efficient and effective result. The RFID system and its application methods to use can truly and really solve all addressed issues in above or potential existing issues in one or more aspects. The combination of C & R pallets and boxes with RFID technology enable both the pallets and the boxes to be tracked and monitored all time and to be collected efficiently and timely for further application. The combination of the RFID system with C & R pallets and boxes enable all involved users to share RFID technology at a very low cost. The RFID system and its application method allow all users to collect RFID tag data under the conditions that a RFID reader is unworkable or unavailable or some or all RFID tags are unreadable by a RFID reader. All collected data are allowed to be verified with more than one method to compare with the received product and data by using or without using a RFID reader or a barcode scanner.